MITCHELL O'BANION - 17 months - Cedar Grove IN

Crews Find Missing Toddler's Life Jacket, But Not Boy

Child Missing After Falling Into Whitewater River

11:14 pm EDT June 2, 2011

• Images: Crews Search For Toddler That Fell In River
  

CEDAR GROVE, Ind. -- The search will continue Friday morning for a toddler who went missing after falling into the Whitewater River.

The 17-month-old boy was riding in a kayak with his parents when they hit a log and tipped over. The boy, who was sitting toward the front of the two-person vessel, fell from his mother's grasp and into the water with his parents.

The boy's parents, Carmen Sickmeier and Lawrence O'Banion II, of Independence, Ky., said they didn't see the boy when they resurfaced.

"They all went under together, (and) when the parents came up, they didn't see their child again," said Franklin County Sheriff Ken Murphy. "It took us a good 20 to 30 minutes to locate them and then get them back to the location where we lost the child.

"The boy was wearing a life jacket, but it wasn't securely fastened. The life vest was found about a mile downriver from where the boy went missing. His parents, who are both in their 30s, were not wearing life jackets.

Crews searched for the boy Wednesday and Thursday during daylight hours and planned to resume searching Friday morning.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/28106147/detail.html#ixzz1OBFLKnlr

The search will continue Friday morning for a toddler who went missing after falling into the Whitewater River.The
17-month-old boy was riding in a kayak with his parents when they hit a
log and tipped over. The boy, who was sitting toward the front of the
two-person vessel, fell from his mother's grasp and into the water with
his parents.The boy's parents, Carmen Sickmeier and Lawrence
O'Banion II, of Independence, Ky., said they didn't see the boy when
they resurfaced."They all went under together, (and) when the
parents came up, they didn't see their child again," said Franklin
County Sheriff Ken Murphy. "It took us a good 20 to 30 minutes to locate
them and then get them back to the location where we lost the child."The
boy was wearing a life jacket, but it wasn't securely fastened. The
life vest was found about a mile downriver from where the boy went
missing. His parents, who are both in their 30s, were not wearing life
jackets.Crews searched for the boy Wednesday and Thursday during daylight hours and planned to resume searching Friday morning.
Indiana rescuers were searching the river from Cedar Grove to the Indiana/Ohio
State Line using boats. Crews from Fairfield searched the river from
the state line to the Great Miami and Ohio rivers.Some of the boats are equipped with side-scanning sonar, and an Indiana State Police helicopter also joined the search.Divers
were on hand to go into the water if the search efforts find anything,
and if the conditions are safe for divers to enter the water. The
Whitewater River is 5 feet above flood stage, and divers could not enter
the water Wednesday because of debris.About 75 volunteers also walked the riverbank to search for the boy."Minutes and seconds are crucial. I can tell you now, our hopes are dimming," Murphy said.Authorities have not released the boy's name.The boy's parents were in the search area Thursday. Murphy said they were devastated but appreciated the search effort.The incident remains under investigation.
Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/28106147/detail.html#ixzz1OCrf9OYI

Payer Vigil For Missing Toddler Held June 3, 2011

Updated: 8:55 am

As crews continued searching tonight, loved ones in Northern Kentucky prayed for the boy and his family. They held a prayer vigil in his hometown of Independence. Local 12's Dan Spehler was there and gathered new information on the family.

The toddler has a number of older siblings, who did not go on that kayaking trip, including three siblings who were there at the prayer vigil tonight.

"I once was lost but now am found."

They sang songs of prayer for 17-month-old Mitchell O'Banion.

"Was blind but now I see."

Dozens gathered to show their support for the family. That's Mitchell's older sister, getting a hug from a family friend.

"They're distraught this is her brother so they're very upset."

"I just hope they find Mitchell and I'm gonna be praying and thinking about him until they do."

Mikayla is a student at Simon Kenton where a number of students know the toddler's sister.

"This community is behind them. Their friends and family are behind them."

And three of Mitchell's siblings were there at the vigil tonight.

"We are here to help hold the other three up as a community. They're not just friends, they're family."

"We love these children we love this family and we're praying for 'em."

Friends say the family has always loved to go out on the water. They say it was a tragic accident and describe Mitchell's mom and dad as loving parents who they're praying for Thursday.



http://www.cwcincinnati.com/content/local_news/story/Payer-Vigil-For-Missing-Toddler-Held/2bVnTwPVIE6lbNqaH8HP6w.cspx

Search teams looking for a missing child on the Whitewater River in Franklin County, Ind,. said they have discovered a body.The body has not been officially identified, but crews said they believe it is the body of Mitchell O'banion.The 17-month-old boy was with his mother and her boyfriend on a float trip on the river when he fell out of a canoe.A
four-day search began immediately. Crews said they found a diaper, a
camera and a piece of clothing believed to belong to Obanion.The family released a statement late Saturday afternoon:“Our
family would like to extend their gratitude to everyone who is working
to find Mitchell. Words cannot express how thankful we are to all the
agencies working to bring Mitchell home to us, the conservation
officers, police officers, fire and EMS responders, and the many
volunteers," the statement said. "To our family and friends and
co-workers, we thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and concerns. We
extend our gratefulness to the community for your support and prayers.
During this devastating time, we would like to thank you for allowing us
to have our privacy while we are grieving.”
Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/28132243/detail.html#ixzz1OMjUZjWt

Tearful Farewell Held For Mitchell O'Banion

6/06

A tearful farewell Sunday for a toddler whose life ended far too soon.

Dozens of family, friends, volunteers and firefighters gathered to remember Mitchell Obanion Sunday evening. The 17-month-old fell into the Whitewater River in Indiana on Wednesday.

Saturday, volunteers recovered his body about two miles downstream from where his parents flipped their kayak.

The New Trenton Fire Department organized the vigil. Their chaplain said they embraced this as a recovery mission. From the beginning, their hope was to find little Mitchell's body. Now that they've found him, they're hoping tonight will be the beginning of emotional recovery.

They walked to the bank of the river, their footsteps slow, their hearts heavy. Many of them didn't know Mitchell Obanion. They never held his hand. They didn't see his smile, but for the past several days, he's become like their own missing child.

"It's just heart-rendering when anyone loses a child."

And you can see the grief painted across his parents' faces. Carmen Sickmeier and Lawrence Obanion were in the kayak with Mitchell when it flipped. They approached the same river that ripped their little blond boy away and sent into the water two candles because even though his short life was extinguished, his memories will live on.

"It will be a pain they never get over. It's kind of like a wound that won't quite heal."

Dozens of people who showed up to search returned to the Whitewater River to find closure. They said goodbye with a cascade of flowers. His siblings said goodbye by tossing out Mitchell's favorite toy, and then everyone sent their final kisses heavenward in a floating cloud of prayer and bubbles.

"Just prayer. I prayed with them and let them know we loved them. They know we are loved."

Many of the firefighters and volunteers were in tears throughout the service. The chaplain said this was the first infant drowning on the river the company has ever experienced.

The area where Mitchell's body was found was searched several times. Recovery crews went all the way to the Ohio River in search of the toddler.


http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Tearful-Farewell-Held-For-Mitchell-OBanion/9KAfBxylrEuM2aHj3UFemA.cspx

Mitchell O'Banion

Jun 7, 2011


Mitchell Lawrence O'Banion, 17 months old, died June 1, 2011, in Franklin County, Ind.

His maternal grandfather, Larry M. Snedicor, and paternal grandfather, Lawrence J. O'Banion, died previously.

Survivors include his parents, Carmen D. Sickmeier and Lawrence J. O'Banion II of Independence; sisters, Mayzie O'Banion, Brittany Sickmeier, Carlei O'Banion and Madison Sickmeier, all of Independence; brothers, Andrew Sickmeier and Aiden O'Banion of Independence; maternal grandmother, Sharon Sickmeier of Erlanger; paternal grandmother, Carole Wilcox of Independence; maternal great-grandmother, Jackelyn Smith of West Palm Beach, Fla.; and paternal great-grandmother, Dorothy O'Banion of Florence

Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Funeral Service will be 11 a.m. Thursday, June 9, at the funeral home. Burial will be at Independence Cemetery.

Put safety first when in the water

June 14, 2011

Carmen Sickmeirer and Lawrence O'Banion, of Florence, Ky., have
paid an agonizingly high price for bad judgment. Their 17-month-old son,
Mitchell O'Banion, is dead because his mother and father made mistakes.Little
Mitchell's body was recovered from the Whitewater River in southern
Ohio, about four and one-half miles downstream from where he fell in
when the kayak in which he was riding capsized. His parents told
authorities the boat rolled over when they tried to avoid hitting a tree
in the swift current.Authorities said the child's body was found
without a life jacket. His parents admitted they probably had fastened
it improperly. Neither of them was wearing a life jacket or vest at the
time of the accident.We need not explain the errors in judgment
that were responsible for the fatality. They were obvious and probably
will haunt the child's parents for the rest of their lives.Parents
should not ignore tragedies like this one. The summer water activities
are in full swing. Now is a good time to review every safety precaution
when it involves children.
http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/536676/Put-safety-first-when-in-the-water.html?nav=5004